Apparatus for raising ships



W. F. GRUMME.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1920.

. 1 344,505, Patented June 22, 1920.

6 fi m f WITNESSES lWVE/VTOR ZZQQ I flpz/fiaazjJ 21/727726 I By W Arromvsrs UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. GRUMME, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-FOURTH T0 LEOPOLD SEGAL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AI'I'ARA'IUS FOR RAISING SHIPS.

Application filed February 12, 1920. Serial No. 358,265.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. GRUMME, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of the 'city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have. invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Raising Ships, of

which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raising ships, an object of the invention being to provide lmproved means for freezing the water around and in a sunken ship so that the ship with the ice around the same can be brought to the surface and salvaged.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of hollow pontoon which is adapted to be lowered in the water to inclose a sunken ship and which is provided with refrigerating means so that the water in the pontoon can be frozen into a 2 solid block of ice.

A further object is toprovide an apparatus of the character stated which is adapted to be controlled by a ship on the surface of the water so as. to efiiciently salvage sunken ships.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and comblnations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a broken view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a View in transverse sect on through the pontoon.

1 represents my improved pontoon which is hollow and open at the bottom and provided in its wall with suitable packing 2 which renders the wall non-heat conducting to prevent the interchange of temperatures of the water outside of the pontoon with that inside of the pontoon. An air casing 3 constitutes the top of the pontoon and is formed with tubular passages 4 extending vertically through the air casing and the bottom 5 of the air casing which constitutes the inner upper wall of the pontoon, inclines upwardly from its side edges to its longitudinal center so that this inclination pointed out in the directs the smallparticles of ice, as they cape through the passages 4 to prevent an overaccumulation of ice within the pontoon wh ch might tend to injure the same. A pipe coil 6 is supported around the inner wall of the pontoon and is adapted to contam a clrculating refrigerating medium. Balancing compartments 7 are provided on top of the pontoon adjacent its respective ends to control the level of the pontoon while lowering it in the water as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In connection with my improved pontoon I employ a ship 8 located on the surface of the water and provide thisship 8 with all Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 22, 1920.

,55 form, to the center and allows them to esnecessary apparatus to perform the functlons as they will hereinafter appear. A

toon l is floated on the water to a point above the sunken ship and then is allowed to sink in the water. To facilitate this sinking of the pontoon, water is circulated through the pipes 11 to force out the air in the casing 3. As the pontoon sinks to prevent possibility of its tipping or inclining, a flow of water and air .into the balancing compartments 7 can be controlled through the pipes 12 so as to maintain the pontoon at a horizontal while it is sinking.

After the pontoon is in position inclosing the sunken ship. 10, the refrigerating medium is circulated through the pipes 9 and coil 6 to freeze the water around the sunken ship and also inside of the sunken ship into.

of ice with the ship therein to the surface of the water.-- The ice itself being more buoyant than t-he water has a tendency to lift the ship and when the pontoon with the block of ice therein and the sunken ship frozen in the ice reaches the surface of the water, they can be towedto a place of salva e.

\Vhile I have illustrated what I believe to be a preferred form of my invention, I would have it understood that-I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction but desire to cover broadly a pontoon or similar device provided with means for freezing a sunken ship within a block of ice so that it can be raised to the surface of the water.

I claim: I 1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a pontoon having an open bottom, and refrigerating means in the pontoon. Y

2. Anapparatus of the character stated, comprising a pontoon having an open bottom, and a pipe coil around the inner Wall of the pontoon, said pipe coil adapted to contain a refrigerating medium.

H An apparatus of the character described, comprising a pontoon having an open bottom, an air casing formed at the top of the pontoon, and refrigerating means in 4 the pontoon. 1

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a' pontoon having an open bottom, a lining. of non-heat conducting material in the wall of the pontoon, a

pontoon, and an the pontoon. 1

6. An apparatus of the character described, comprising 'a' pontoon having an open bottom, refrigerating means in the pontoon, and an air casing on top of the pontoon, said air casing having its lower face inclining toward its longitudinal center and having passages at its longitudinal center communicating with the interior of the pontoon.

7. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a pontoon having an open bottom. refrigerating means in the pontoon, an air casing on top of the pontoon, and balancing compartments secured to the top of the pontoon and having means for controlling the flow of air andwater thereinto. k

8. In an apparatus for raising sunken ships, the combination with a pontoon adapted to inclose a sunken ship, a ship adapted to be located on the surface of the water, and pipes connecting the ship'with the pontoon, certain ofsaid pipes controlling the flow of refrigerating medium to the pontoon and .others of said pipes controlling the fiow of water and air to the pontoon.

WILLIAM F. GRUMMEf 

